Tricycle guider



Dec. 17, 1957 .1. P. COSTELLO TRICYCLE GUIDER Filed Feb. 16, 1955 INVENTORI JAMES P. COSTELLO A Ys.

United States Patent TRICYCLE GUIDER James P. Costello, Philadelphia, Pa. Application February 16, 1955, Serial No. 488,601

2 Claims. (Cl. 280-289) The present invention relates to a device for attachment to a standard tricycle to permit an adult to assist the child in steering the tricycle.

Young children are easily taught to pedal tricycles and similar vehicles, but great difiiculty is experienced in teaching the child to manipulate the handle of the tricycle in order to steer properly. The present invention relates to a device which may be easily attached to a standard tricycle or the like and which may be used to assist the child in steering the device.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a device of the stated character which is of simple manufacture and yet is fully effective to guide and propel the tricycle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the stated character which encircles the youngster and prevents his falling from the tricycle.

These and other objects of the invention and the various features and details of the construction and operation thereof are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tricycle with a device of the present invention attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the device showing its attachment to the handle of a conventional tricycle, and,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken from the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, a standard tricycle is indicated at having a handle member 11 for steering. The handle 11 is of conventional construction comprising a tubular member open at its opposite ends and provided with rubber grips 12, 12. A guider 13 made in accordance with the present invention, is adapted to be telescopically engaged in the free tubular end portions of the handle 11. In accordance with the invention, the guider comprises a grip 14 formed at one end of an elongated shaft 15. The opposite end of the shaft mounts a pair of outwardly bowed arms 16, 16 which are dimensioned to be telescopically received within the free end portions of the handle 11 of the tricycle.

As shown, the arms 16, 16 are bowed outwardly to encircle the youngster seated on the seat of the tricycle. The free end portions of the arms 16, 16 are turned up slightly as shown in Fig. 2 to position the grip 14 at a convenient height for the adult assisting the youngster. As shown in Fig. 2, the curve is gradual and is such to permit the youngster to rest his elbows and forearms on the arms 16, 16 and provide support for him as he sits on the tricycle.

Preferably, the guider 13 is formed of a continuous tubular member or bar stock which is possessed of a degree of resiliency. In this manner, the arms may be adjusted outwardly to accommodate tricycles having handles which are spaced apart at different distances.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the arms may be frictionally engaged and clamped in the tubular end portions of the handle 11 by means vof an adjusting mechanism 20 at the forward end of the ,shaft 15. In the present instance, the stock .of the bifurcated shaft '15 is provided with depending ,lugs 21, 21 which mount between them an adjusting bolt 22. A wing nut 23 is engaged on the adjusting bolt 22 and is operable to compress the bifurcated shaft 15, biasing the arms 16, 16 toward one another. The inward bias on the arms frictionally engages their free end portions against the inner sides of the free end portions of the handle 11 to securely clamp the guider 13 on the handle 11.

If desired, additional clamping means may be provided at the free end of the arms. For example, the free ends may be tubular in cross section and split. An expander may be positioned within the split tubular end portion which is operable to securely engage the split tubular end portion within the tubular end of the handle 11. On the other hand, the end portions of the handle 11 and the arms 16, 16 may be provided with registering apertures which receive cotter pins or the like to securely lock them together.

Other modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention; for example, the shaft 15 may be a separate member, and the arms formed of a generally semi-circular band. A band of this character should be bowed outwardly to embrace the child in a manner similar to the arms 16, 16 and suitable locking means may be provided to mount the band in the handle 11 of the tricycle or other vehicle.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated, and certain modifications thereto have been described, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosures, but changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. For a childs vehicle having a seat and a handle disposed forwardly of said seat for steering said vehicle, a guider comprising an elongated bifurcated shaft consisting of spaced substantially parallel legs, said legs being joined at one end of said shaft to form a grip, arms at the opposite end of said legs, each arm being formed integrally with a leg of said shaft and being bowed outwardly and terminating in a free end portion adapted to be engaged with an end portion of said handle, said arms thereby alfording steering of said vehicle by the guider, and being positioned to encircle the zone overlying said seat to provide a protective guard, and means adjacent said opposite end of the bifurcated shaft to bias said arms toward one another to frictionally engage the end portions of said arms with the end portions of said handle to thereby interlock the same.

2. For a childs vehicle having a handle formed with substantially parallel hollow end portions projecting rearwardly for steering the vehicle, a guider comprising an elongated shaft means, a grip element mounted at one end of said shaft means, arms mounted at the opposite end of said shaft means, said arms being bowed outwardly and terminating in substantially parallel free end portions adapted to be telescopically engaged with the rearwardly projecting end portions of said handle to thereby afford steering of said vehicle by the guider, said outwardly bowed arms being dimensioned and arranged to encircle a child mounted on said vehicle to thereby provide a protective guard, and means to laterally bias the free end portions of said arms into frictional engagement with said rearwardly extending end portions of said handle to thereby interlock the same.

(References on following page) Referenc es Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Copeland Oct. 30, 1888 McIntyre 2. Nov. 12, 1907 5 Shaw Feb. 8, 1916 Mayer May 8, 1928 Bukolt Aug. 30, 1932 Great Britain of 1897 

